Filtered commentary - Sri Lanka innings
Hello and welcome to the second game in Super Eights. South Africa v Sri Lanka.
I am Sriram Veera and will be bringing you all the live action today. Srinivas Raju will be doing the scoring.
Toss Mahela has opted to bat first. Graeme Smith had admitted that toss could be the key. "But I must say. I hope it's not going to be a case of winning the match if you win the toss. That would turn this match into too much of a gamble," he said.
Rain has stopped. So here are some stats for your perusal while we wait for the start. South Africa and Sri Lanka have met 44 times in ODIs, and the honours are even, with both winning 21 times. There is nothing to separate them at neutral venues either, with eight wins each. Since the last World Cup they have met ten times, and while Sri Lanka have won seven, five of those victories were at home. In three World Cup clashes, it's one win apiece and a tie in 2003. For more numbers, click here.
Pitch From Dileep Premachandran's tour diary, "there was the hint of a smile around Tom Moody's lips when he was asked about the pitch to be used for the game. Shaved as bald as Kojak and the colour of sand, it could easily have been transported from the Premadasa in Colombo." So it's likely to be a trial by spin for SA.
0.1 Pollock to Tharanga, no run, In the channel outside off stump, Tharanga leans across and shoulders arms.
Typical start from Pollock
Shaun Pollock has taken 51 wickets in 34 matches against Sri Lanka, averaging 23 at 3.77 per over.
0.2 Pollock to Tharanga, 2 runs, full and straight, on the leg and middle, Tharanga wrists it away to fine-leg. A misfield by Ntini and they will get two
0.3 Pollock to Tharanga, no run, The first play and miss of the day. In the temptation zone outside off and Tharanga pushes inside the line. Not much movement, enough to cause to trouble.
0.4 Pollock to Tharanga, no run, The first swing and miss. Similar line, a touch wider and Tharanga freed his arms but couldn't connect
0.5 Pollock to Tharanga, no run, homing in on the off stump line, Tharanga leans forward to push it to the off side
0.6 Pollock to Tharanga, 1 run, full and wide, driven to cover where de Villiers makes a half-stop.
End of over 1 (3 runs) - Sri Lanka 3/0 (RR: 3.00)
WU Tharanga 3* (6b) SM Pollock 1-0-3-0
ST Jayasuriya 0* (0b)
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